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Border emergency declared in New Mexico
Governor says area 'devastated' by human and drug smuggling

Saturday, August 13, 2005; Posted: 1:39 p.m. EDT (17:39 GMT)

(CNN) -- New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson declared a state of emergency Friday in four counties along the Mexican border that he said have been "devastated" by crimes such as the smuggling of drugs and illegal immigrants.

The declaration said the region "has been devastated by the ravages and terror of human smuggling, drug smuggling, kidnapping, murder, destruction of property and the death of livestock. ...

"[It] is in an extreme state of disrepair and is inadequately funded or safeguarded to protect the lives and property of New Mexican citizens."

New Mexico shares 180 miles of border with the Mexican state of Chihuahua.

"The situation is out of hand," Richardson said Friday night on CNN's "Lou Dobbs Tonight," noting that one 54-mile stretch is particularly bad.

The Mexican government issued a statement in which it acknowledged the problems along the border, but said it continues to make consistent efforts to target them along with U.S. authorities.

It said some of Richardson's views stem from "generalizations that do not correspond to the spirit of cooperation and understanding that are required for dealing with problems of common concern along the border."

Richardson pledged an additional $1 million in assistance for the area, his office said in a news release.

He said on CNN that the funds will be used to hire additional law enforcement personnel and pay officers overtime.

In announcing the state of emergency, Richardson -- a Democrat who served in President Clinton's Cabinet -- criticized the "total inaction and lack of resources from the federal government and Congress" in helping protect his state's residents along the border.

"There's very little response from the Border Patrol," he said on CNN. "They're doing a good job, but they don't have the resources."

The governor announced the move after a helicopter and ground tour of the border near Columbus, New Mexico, the statement said.

He said on CNN that he "saw the trails where these illegal routes take place" as well as fenced areas along the border where the fence is "literally nonexistent."

According to Richardson's statement announcing the declaration, "Recent developments have convinced me this action is necessary -- including violence directed at law enforcement, damage to property and livestock, increased evidence of drug smuggling, and an increase in the number of undocumented immigrants."

He called on Mexico to "bulldoze the abandoned town of Las Chepas, which is directly over the border from Columbus."

The statement went on to say that "Las Chepas is a notorious staging and resting area for those who smuggle drugs and immigrants into the United States."

Some of the pledged funds will be used to create a field office for the New Mexico Office of Homeland Security to focus specifically on the border.

There will also be new efforts to protect livestock in the area near Columbus, "along a favorite path for illegal immigration where a number of livestock have been stolen and killed," the statement said.

Richardson said he wanted residents of the four counties "to know my administration is doing everything it can to protect them."

Alejandro Cano, secretary of industrial development for the Mexican state of Chihuahua -- which borders New Mexico -- pledged to support Richardson's efforts, the statement said.

"My people on my side asked me to take this step, and I've done so reluctantly," Richardson told CNN. "As governor, I have to protect the people I represent."

He noted he is the nation's only Hispanic governor, and "we're a state that's been very good to legal migrants. ... This action, I believe, had to be taken."

The Mexican Foreign Ministry sent Richardson a letter Friday saying it has requested that Mexican consuls in Albuquerque and El Paso, Texas, meet "as soon as possible" with New Mexico officials "to promote pertinent action by the authorities of both countries in the framework of existing institutional mechanisms."

This dude is trippin... This ain't a "state of emergency"... Just wait till the economy collapses then he'll see a state emergency. "Oh it's not just illegal aliens, there's drugs, kidnappings, murders"... I live in the murder capital right now and it's not a state emergency here. wtf.
and this is a democrat too...
next thing you know they'll be bombing protesters talking about how all these dirty hippies are a threat to the establishment and this was a rebel uprising...

Originally posted by villain@Aug 13 2005, 04:09 PMThis dude is trippin... This ain't a "state of emergency"... Just wait till the economy collapses then he'll see a state emergency. "Oh it's not just illegal aliens, there's drugs, kidnappings, murders"... I live in the murder capital right now and it's not a state emergency here. wtf.
and this is a democrat too...
next thing you know they'll be bombing protesters talking about how all these dirty hippies are a threat to the establishment and this was a rebel uprising...

I honestly don't think that closing the borders is that bad an idea right now. Not permanently, but at least for a while. Or at least make it a little fucking harder for a person to be a citizen, especially if they came in illegally ala sneaking across the border from Mexico.

Originally posted by fermentor666@Aug 16 2005, 02:47 AMI honestly don't think that closing the borders is that bad an idea right now. Not permanently, but at least for a while. Or at least make it a little fucking harder for a person to be a citizen, especially if they came in illegally ala sneaking across the border from Mexico.

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right on. to me it makes no sense to:

1. fight a war in iraq with our borders open
2. protest the war in iraq and have the borders open.

everyone says we are less secure. (which i agree) not soley because we are in iraq, but because our borders are wide open for the taking. excuse them for racially profiling, but the whole reason the minuteman project was organized was after muslims were showing up crossing the southern border. instead of worrying about "violating someones civil rights" (they are non US citizens) our borders should be shut down, so some jihad doesnt break out. (not to mention they should be closed for other issues as well)

our president doesn't give a rats ass about the immigration problem
he's even encouraged it.

and besdies, passing a law, even temporarily, that closes borders is not going to stop the problem. maybe if we worried more about shit in our own backyard instead of how we're going to keep getting oil for our SUVs, maybe we wouldn't be in this predicament

i'm gonna laugh in 30 years when latinos have moved the fuck in and started voting in large numbers. they're going to take cali back haha

everyone says we are less secure. (which i agree) not soley because we are in iraq, but because our borders are wide open for the taking. excuse them for racially profiling, but the whole reason the minuteman project was organized was after muslims were showing up crossing the southern border. instead of worrying about "violating someones civil rights" (they are non US citizens) our borders should be shut down, so some jihad doesnt break out. (not to mention they should be closed for other issues as well)

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You are caught up in that security shit ... man that’s a joke ... we are no more or less secure than we were 10 years ago. That’s part of the depict that was embedded in the psychological warfare following 9/11. You seem to have bought it hook line and sinker. Another part is once we started down this path we created more people to hate us that we now need to fear a little bit, it was a grand game of war planning and people like you are contributing to its success. Thanks for being a strong independent thinker making a stronger more secure US.

And dont act like you are of native american descent .... your family most likely were immagrants too. You are not born into privlage just because you were born in the US, give others a chance ... you dont feel like working for minimum wage out in the fields do you ?? well that job needs to be done at a low cost to keep the economy going and you in a position where you can bitch about small petty shit like this online !!!!!!!!!!!!!

"native americans" "migrated" here as well.
ive argued numerous other points why the borders should be closed, but its pointless.

what about all the people who WONT work, who would rather sit and collect welfare? is this cool? i blame 90% of this shit on government handouts and welfare. who worked the fields before illegals? saying that "no one will do this work" is the biggest dodge you could make. as is the "your a descendent of immigrants...har har har..." do you not understand the difference in coming here legally and breaking federal law to get here? if you want to come here, GET IN FUCKING LINE. why should the illegals get a free pass and the people waiting in line get fucked?

what about our national sovereignty? does this matter? im sure your answer is a big N O.

its bad enough right now with our correct system of wealth redistribution, why not add 15 million more people WHO ARE NOT EVEN CITIZENS OF THE USA. you cant argue the fact that 1 out of 5 people in our prison system are here illegally.

just because someone "doesnt have it as good as us" doesnt give someone the right to cross our borders illegally, and do as they please.

alright alright guys, all you "bush haters" atleast have the common courtesy and all decide to give bush a big wet one. y'all want the same thing. an open bordered, free trade, globalist nation with a one world government.

the citizen patrols proved it is quite easy to stop this problem with just a little bit more man power.

finish up with iraq ASAP, bring ALL our boys home, let current treaties lapse, put our military/national guard on the borders like they are supposed to be, in the mean time, use citizen patrols or throw out welfare and hire some more fucking border agents. round up illegals, be they white, black, brown, yellow, blah blah, ship em back home.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A majority of Latinos born in the United States don't think illegal Hispanic immigrants should be given drivers' licenses, according to a new poll.

Most foreign-born Latinos disagree, according to the polling for the Pew Hispanic Center.

Six in 10 Latinos born in this country approve of measures to prohibit illegal immigrants from getting drivers' licenses, while two-thirds born in another country disapprove of such measures.

The difference between foreign-born Latinos and native-born Latinos on the driver's license issue highlights the disparity between the two groups on several issues.

Foreign-born Latinos take a more positive view than native-born Latinos on whether immigrants strengthen the United States. Almost nine in 10 foreign-born Latinos say immigrants strengthen the country, while two-thirds of Latinos born in the United States feel that way, according to the poll.

"Among Latinos in the United States, there's a majority that views immigrants favorably, but there is a significant minority concerned about unauthorized immigration into the country and its impact," said Roberto Suro, director of the Pew Hispanic Center.

Two-thirds of Latinos in the U.S. said undocumented migrants help the economy by providing low-cost labor. Again, foreign-born Latinos were more upbeat about the impact of undocumented migrants than those born in this country.

Most Latinos feel the number of immigrants coming in the country should stay the same or be reduced, with only a third saying the numbers should increase, according to the poll done for Pew and another done for Time Magazine.

Three-fourths in a Time poll of 503 Hispanic adults said people in the United States illegally are taking jobs that U.S. citizens don't want. The Time poll was taken from July 28 to August 3.

The Pew study also looked at how Mexicans feel about trying to get into the United States.

Almost half of Mexicans, 46 percent, surveyed in May said they would go to the U.S. if they could. About two in five said they would be inclined to go live and work in the U.S. without authorization.

"The desire to migrate is not a phenomenon of the poor and poorly educated," Suro said. "The inclination to migrate is powerful in the middle class in Mexico, even those with college educations say they would go to the United States if they could."

The survey of Latinos in the United States was conducted for the Pew Hispanic Center from June 14-27 by ICR and had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. In Mexico, Pew surveyed 1,200 adults in May and the margin of sampling error was plus or minus 3 percentage points

Originally posted by angelofdeath@Aug 16 2005, 08:41 PM"native americans" "migrated" here as well.
ive argued numerous other points why the borders should be closed, but its pointless.

what about all the people who WONT work, who would rather sit and collect welfare? is this cool? i blame 90% of this shit on government handouts and welfare. who worked the fields before illegals? saying that "no one will do this work" is the biggest dodge you could make. as is the "your a descendent of immigrants...har har har..." do you not understand the difference in coming here legally and breaking federal law to get here? if you want to come here, GET IN FUCKING LINE. why should the illegals get a free pass and the people waiting in line get fucked?

what about our national sovereignty? does this matter? im sure your answer is a big N O.

its bad enough right now with our correct system of wealth redistribution, why not add 15 million more people WHO ARE NOT EVEN CITIZENS OF THE USA. you cant argue the fact that 1 out of 5 people in our prison system are here illegally.

just because someone "doesnt have it as good as us" doesnt give someone the right to cross our borders illegally, and do as they please.

alright alright guys, all you "bush haters" atleast have the common courtesy and all decide to give bush a big wet one. y'all want the same thing. an open bordered, free trade, globalist nation with a one world government.

the citizen patrols proved it is quite easy to stop this problem with just a little bit more man power.

finish up with iraq ASAP, bring ALL our boys home, let current treaties lapse, put our military/national guard on the borders like they are supposed to be, in the mean time, use citizen patrols or throw out welfare and hire some more fucking border agents. round up illegals, be they white, black, brown, yellow, blah blah, ship em back home.

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Man ... Welfare.... Wow there a fun subject to bitch about.... My brother lives on SSI so I have some strong opinions on giving money away too. I think that is an issue that needs attention but it’s not as related to the boarder as you want it to be for this argument.

My brother was just out of high school using SSI to help him make it (he’s disabled), anytime he had a job his SSI benefits were cut so deep it was not reasonable for him to keep working. So he just went to school and collected SSI. Why wouldn’t that system be set up to help people making minimum wage to stretch that the best they can and live, instead of making it easier to not work and get more money? So in the end I will agree that whole system is in need of correction.

On the boarder issue ... your right: get in line, and don’t give any free money to them. That’s it.... no closing the boarder ... does you locking your door at home make you safer 100% of the time .. Why would that work on the boarder? It would waste money in man hours period.

As to who worked in the fields before them, slaves.... remember that ugly history.... that low cost employment is a key part in our economy … if it wasn’t why would we outsource almost all of goods to low paid employees in China.

I see your good intentions hiding behind your smug attitude …..Good luck on your liberal hating !!!
By the way the “bush hater” game is part of their plan and you got played so well to wind up spewing this much hate to progressive thinkers. Keep us arguing over bullshit while they line their family and friends pockets with our money … but hey the Space Shuttle made it home safe.

"On the boarder issue ... your right: get in line, and don’t give any free money to them. That’s it.... no closing the boarder ... does you locking your door at home make you safer 100% of the time .. Why would that work on the boarder? It would waste money in man hours period.

As to who worked in the fields before them, slaves.... remember that ugly history.... that low cost employment is a key part in our economy … if it wasn’t why would we outsource almost all of goods to low paid employees in China. "

HAHA, i was actually going to include the "slaves" did the work in a mocking response of what i knew you were going to write.

actually if you did some research you would find the real answer. after the slaves were set free who did the work? americans. that is who. low income americans. rural americans. if there was no government dependence, there would be no problem. if we were american economic nationalists we wouldnt have this problem. why would someone want to actually WORK, when they can sit at home, and get a check?

if you knew history, you will find that basically payed for the US government before the civil war. that is the main reason why the north didnt want them to leave. the tariff revenue the south brought in from buying manufactured things, was the cheif source of income. the south wanted low or no tariffs and free trade world wide to get good price for their agriculture products. the north wanted SUPER high protectionist tariffs to protect its industry. after the war, protectionism built this country into what it is today. the policies of free trade first instituted and promoted by Wilson, FDR, with the real impact being the LBJ and forward presidents, we have had trade deficits every year. free trade is not the answer. global economy, outsourcing, having workers with virtually no health regulations, working regulations, etc etc in the 3rd world, making a fraction of american wages, is promoting slave labor and killing america. we are no longer a producer nation, we are a dependent nation.

our borders need to be SHUT THE FUCK DOWN. the agreements of NAFTA, did not help the border problem the way clinton claimed.

your analogy of locking your door is only half truth. if we put our military on the border, with constant monitoring, there would be NO illegal crossings. they would be apprehended, and tried for thier crime. nothing will make you "100% safe all the time" however certain measures, like secure borders are the keys to national sovereignty, security and liberty. american citizens have the right to liberty, not illegal border crossers.

so go ahead man, hop in bed with GW and give it to him good. you are all on the same page.

Gov. Janet Napolitano on Monday declared a state of emergency along Arizona's border with Mexico, freeing up $1.5 million in disaster funds to help border counties combat booming illegal immigration and drug smuggling.

Napolitano criticized the federal government for "moving too slow" on border security, evolving into a hot-button, election-year issue in Arizona and across the country.

"This is a federal responsibility, and they're not meeting it," Napolitano said. "I've just come to the conclusion (that) we've got to do what we can at the state level until the federal government picks up the pace."

Napolitano's announcement came three days after New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson issued a similar declaration, complaining that the federal government has failed to stem growing smuggling-related violence to the east of Arizona, an increasingly popular illegal immigration corridor. Both governors are Democrats.

The money in Arizona is designated for the state's four border counties - Yuma, Pima, Santa Cruz and Cochise - and will be distributed by the Arizona Division of Emergency Management. The $1.5 million is part of $4 million set aside annually for disasters, such as fires or floods.

Politicians and law enforcement officials in those counties said the money is sorely needed. The state is the busiest illegal crossing spot along the entire Southwestern border.

The declaration is the first time Napolitano has tapped the funds for border issues.

And it comes at a time when federal lawmakers, including some from Arizona, and the Bush administration are pushing a series of immigration reform bills and proposals.

Arizona Republican Sens. John McCain and Jon Kyl have introduced starkly different bills. Kyl's bill would authorize 10,000 new Border Patrol agents and require millions of undocumented immigrants to return to their home countries after five years. The McCain bill would allow undocumented immigrants to stay in the United States if they pay a fine and participate in a guest-worker program.

The long-running battle over securing the U.S.-Mexican border is expected to be a key issue in next year's midterm elections, both nationally and at the state level.

Arizona border counties will be eligible to apply for state money for a wide range of costs, from repairing border fences to paying for overtime for local law enforcement agencies dealing with smuggling-related crime.

State Rep. Russell Pearce, a Republican, accused Napolitano of bowing to public and political pressure.

"This governor clearly is very good at reading polls," Pearce said. "It's a start, but much more has to be done.... This nation is under siege."

Since Oct. 1, the start of the federal fiscal year, U.S. Border Patrol in the Yuma and Tucson sectors reported more than 510,000 arrests, an average of about 1,616 a day, roughly on par with last year. The Border Patrol has reported a steep increase in assaults on agents patrolling in southern Arizona, including a June 30 shooting by masked gunmen with assault rifles that wounded two agents near Nogales, Ariz.

"For years, we've been dealing with international, federal issues at the border with little or no support from the government. We need resources down here," Santa Cruz County Sheriff Tony Estrada said. "We're the guys in the trenches, on the roads, out in the sticks. For too long, we've been raising little red flags, saying we need help, and nobody's paid attention."

His Sheriff's Department, which patrols about 50 miles of border outside Nogales, has a 31-year-old jail designed for 52 inmates but routinely holds 120. On Monday morning, 52 percent of the inmates were Mexican nationals accused of state or local crimes.

Rancher Larry Vance, 49, has lived in Cochise County in southeastern Arizona for more than 31 years. Illegal-immigration arrests peaked along the Southwestern border and in Arizona during 2000, and Vance reported his property was overrun to the point that he slept only two to three hours a night.

Things quieted down recently, Vance said, particularly since March, when the Border Patrol extended its steel fence farther west, past the boundary of his 20-acre property just north of the border.

"She's 10 years too late," Vance said of Napolitano's declaration. "Politicians don't get it. They still don't get it."

Robert Damon, chairman of the Santa Cruz Board of Supervisors, said more is needed to offset the estimated $3 million that illegal immigration costs the county each year, but "any little bit helps."

Kevin Tunell, Yuma County director of public and legislative affairs, estimated illegal immigration costs the county $5 million to $6 million a year, much on jailing undocumented immigrants. "Illegal immigration has had a phenomenal impact on our yearly budget, so any money that comes to us is always welcomed to help plug the hole in the dike," he said

Yuma County Sheriff Ralph Ogden said he hopes to use some of the money to pay for extra police patrols along the Colorado River that borders Mexico, which has become a haven for thieves who prey on undocumented immigrants.

LOUISVILLE, COLORADO -- (OfficialWire) -- 07/13/05 -- The American Lung Association makes the claim it “wiped out” tuberculosis in the United States. That esteemed public health organization celebrated its 101th birthday in June.

However, last fall, at the Air Force Academy in Colorado a cadet tested positive for tuberculosis. He is not alone. In Michigan, Florida, Virginia, Georgia, Colorado, Texas and dozens of states around the country, tuberculosis pops up daily at health clinics.

It’s a growing crisis suffered by parents of kids in classrooms, work places and food retail outlets. How and why is this disease that was ‘extinguished’ in the United States by the mid 1990’s back?

According to the Center for Disease Control, 14,871 new cases of active TB in the United States

“…occurred among people born abroad to non-U.S. born parents.” What do they have in common? They immigrated to America. Tuberculosis rears its ugly head with the advance of illegal immigrants massing across the United States.

How did they get past health officials at the borders? According to U.S. Border Patrol officials, over 4,000 illegal aliens make successful bids to cross America’s borders nightly in Arizona alone. Once inside the U.S., they move into the general population where they spread tuberculosis to American citizens. How many infected illegal aliens breached America’s borders in the past five years? According to a report by Dr. Kevin Patterson in the March issue of Mother Jones News, “Patient Predator,” an estimated 16,000 cases of MDR mycobacterium tuberculosis traveled over U.S. borders from Mexico in the past five years. This new ‘multi-drug resistant’ TB, at this point, is incurable. Worldwide, tuberculosis kills two million people annually.

Let’s connect the dots. On April 24, 2004, “Anatomy of an Outbreak,” the Santa Barbara Press-News carried a story on an illegal alien migrant who infected 56 people. He had to be arrested and confined to stop his spreading the disease. On June 30, 2004, a Chesterfield County, Virginia teen at James River High School tested positive for TB. Another 100 of his classmates had to be tested. On July 2, 2004, a Bradenton, Florida homeless man who had visited homeless shelters may have spread the disease to an unknown number of people. Five cases of TB surfaced at the state prison in Hardeman County, Whiteville, Tennessee. On June 22, 2004, a nursing student tested positive for tuberculosis. In Norwich, Connecticut, a worker from Plas Pak Industries tested positive for TB on June 1, 2004. In Chesapeake, VA, 17 people died from TB in 2003. Last fall, north of Detroit, Michigan, 30 students and four teachers tested positive for TB.

Del Ray Beach, Florida suffered two cases.

Quite simply, it’s spreading like a dandelion dropping seeds into the wind.

Why should Americans be concerned? First, over one million illegal alien children attend K-12 schools across the United States. They are the sons and daughters of parents who escaped disease testing at our nation’s borders. Anyone of them could be among the 16,000 new cases of TB within our borders. What do all illegal aliens have in common? They do not want to be deported so they avoid checking into health clinics.

According to Dr. Lee Reichman in his book “TIMEBOMB: GLOBAL EPIDEMIC OF MULTI DRUG RESISTANT DISEASES,” each infected person may infect 10 to 50 other persons depending on his/her presence in public. Where do illegal aliens find work? Take a guess! It means any healthy American could eat at a fast food restaurant, go to a movie, stand in line at a grocery store or attend school—and contract tuberculosis. You’re a cough or sneeze away from infection by someone standing in line with you.

Adding to the calamity, America’s porous borders allow a million illegal and untested migrants into the United States annually. It portends a growing, silent and pervasive epidemic that will take years before fully realized as ‘live’ and latent carriers may pass the disease to anyone near them when they cough, sneeze or touch foods Americans eat.

What can you as an American citizen do? Not much singularly. You’re pretty much a victim of this tuberculosis crisis. However, by joining forces with like-minded citizens, you can force Congress to uphold immigration laws, put troops on the borders to stop illegal migration and reduce legal immigration to manageable levels that mandate strict health testing before any immigrant arrives into this country.

If you don’t do anything, which has been the case in the past 14 years since 1990 when tuberculosis was as rare as a blue moon, someone you know or you will contract TB. If it’s the MDR incurable form of TB, you may be among the two million annually who don’t enjoy the next New Year’s party. It’s only a matter time.

More and more of my constituents are asking me when Congress will address the problem of illegal immigration. The public correctly perceives that neither political party has the courage to do what is necessary to prevent further erosion of both our border security and our national identity. As a result, immigration may be the sleeper issue that decides the 2008 presidential election.

The problem of illegal immigration will not be solved easily, but we can start by recognizing that the overwhelming majority of Americans – including immigrants – want immigration reduced, not expanded.

Amnesty for illegal immigrants is not the answer. Millions of people who broke the law by entering, staying, and working in our country illegally should not be rewarded with a visa. Why should lawbreakers obtain a free pass, while those seeking to immigrate legally face years of paperwork and long waits for a visa?

We must end welfare state subsidies for illegal immigrants. Some illegal immigrants – certainly not all – receive housing subsidies, food stamps, free medical care, and other forms of welfare. This alienates taxpayers and breeds suspicion of immigrants, even though the majority of them work very hard. Without a welfare state, we would know that everyone coming to America wanted to work hard and support himself.

Our current welfare system also encourages illegal immigration by discouraging American citizens from taking low-wage jobs. This creates greater demand for illegal foreign labor. Welfare programs and minimum wage laws create an artificial market for labor to do the jobs Americans supposedly won’t do.

Illegal immigrants also place a tremendous strain on social entitlement programs. Under a proposed totalization agreement with Mexico, millions of illegal immigrants will qualify for Social Security and other programs – programs that already threaten financial ruin for America in the coming decades. Adding millions of foreign citizens to the Social Security, Medicare, and disability rolls will only hasten the inevitable day of reckoning.

Economic considerations aside, we must address the cultural aspects of immigration. The vast majority of Americans welcome immigrants who want to come here, work hard, and build a better life. But we rightfully expect immigrants to show a sincere desire to become American citizens, speak English, and assimilate themselves culturally. All federal government business should be conducted in English. More importantly, we should expect immigrants to learn about and respect our political and legal traditions, which are rooted in liberty and constitutionally limited government.

Our most important task is to focus on effectively patrolling our borders. With our virtually unguarded borders, almost any determined individual – including a potential terrorist – can enter the United States. Unfortunately, the federal government seems more intent upon guarding the borders of other nations than our own. We are still patrolling Korea’s border after some 50 years, yet ours are more porous than ever. It is ironic that we criticize Syria for failing to secure its border with Iraq while our own borders, particularly to the south, are no better secured than those of Syria.

We need to allocate far more of our resources, both in terms of money and manpower, to securing our borders and coastlines here at home. This is the most critical task before us, both in terms of immigration problems and the threat of foreign terrorists. Unless and until we secure our borders, illegal immigration and the problems associated with it will only increase.

If we took some of the steps I have outlined here – eliminating the welfare state and securing our borders – we could effectively address the problem of illegal immigration in a manner that would not undermine the freedom of American citizens. Sadly, it appears we are moving toward policies like a national ID that diminish our liberties. Like gun control, these approaches only punish the innocent, as criminals will always find a way around the law.